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Thursday, September 5, 2019

Kelli
A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short
stories, 19 romance novels, 5 non-fiction books, and 2 online writing courses.
Her romances span many genres and heat levels, and she’s also been known to
scare readers with her horror stories.

She
released Extraterrestrial
Encounters, a collection
of 18 sci-fi stories, in August 2019.If you like horror fiction, don’t miss her disturbing novella, Nightmare
in the North.

Her latest
historical romance, The Viking’s Witch, was released in June 2019. This full-length
novel takes place in Celtic Scotland and blends a sensual romance with
paranormal elements.

In March 2019, Kelli
published Dangerous Indenture, a historical mystery romance set
in Colonial Pennsylvania. She released the second half of her flash fiction
series, Cupid’s Schemes, in early 2019. These two volumes of
lighthearted mini-romances are perfect reads for a quick lunchtime escape or an
after-work indulgence.

Kelli
released her latest Teachable mini-course, Fiction Basics: Finding Ideas in
February 2019. She authoredFiction Writing for
Beginners through Teachable in 2018. These courses are
perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to write. Visit: https://kelliwilkins.teachable.com/for more details.

Beverley:
Which genre or genres do you
write or prefer to write? And why?

Kelli:I write novels and short stories in a variety of genres. I mainly consider myself a romance and horror author. I know that’s an unusual blend, but I like to say that one half of my brain writes the romance and the other half writes the horror. (I’ve also branched out from horror into science fiction.)

I like writing in multiple genres because I get to explore different characters, plotsand styles of writing in a romance that I couldn’t
do in a horror story – and vice versa. However, I did blend the romance and
horror genres into a few paranormal romances.

After writing a few romances I like to switch up and focus on
horror or sci-fi for a while. My horror stories tend to be more psychological
and creepy than bloody, and my sci-fi stories are about strange things that
happen to ordinary people. I write in almost every romance
genre: historical, fantasy, paranormal, gay, and contemporary. So I’m pretty
comfortable switching genres as the characters and plots dictate.

I’ve also written several
non-fiction pet guides and authored two online writing courses, so I pretty
much write anything and everything.

Beverley: Who influenced you the most in deciding to become a writer?

Kelli:I read everything, so in a sense every
book I’ve read has influenced me in some way. My bookshelves include mysteries,
thrillers, suspense novels, romance, non-fiction, and horror.

My
imagination combined with my love of horror inspired me to write my own
stories. I credit Stephen King and Rod Serling as my two biggest influences –
they know how to tell a good story. Without a doubt, Stephen King is my
favorite author. He has been the main influence in my writing. My mother bought
all of his books, and I read Night Shift
when I was about nine years old. (I think it was the first “grown up” book I
read.) The stories showed me how to plot, use details and descriptions, and
give the story a voice. I think King’s On
Writing book is a great way for anyone to get inside the mind of a writer
and see how the process unfolds.

I also have to give credit to Rod Serling, because I learned about the
mechanics of great storytelling, world-building, and character development from
watching The Twilight Zone.After
being exposed to these types of stories I was motivated to write my own.

Beverley:
What gets your creative juices flowing?

Kelli:A great idea will always inspire me to
grab a pen and paper and start writing! Sometimes I’ll see or hear something
that sparks an idea and that will give me the basis for an entire book. Of course,
once I’m writing a book, the characters and the story keep my creative juices
flowing. Even though I plot out my books and have a good idea of what’s going
to happen next, every once in a while my characters will surprise me and take
things in a different direction.

Beverley:
Do you have a favorite cartoon character? Why?

Kelli:I like to watch cartoons because they
help me laugh and relax. They’re a great stress-reducer. I mostly watch
cartoons for children, like Octonauts,Peppa Pig, and Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles. But my all-time favorite character is Felix the Cat.
Felix is my favorite because I love cats (especially black cats) and he was a
wiseass troublemaker who always found a clever way out of his jams.

Beverley:
Who would you love most to meet 'in person' and why?

Kelli:It would be interesting to sit down
with a panel of my favorite authors (Stephen King, John Sandford, Preston &
Child) and talk about their books, characters, and their writing processes. I’d
also like to meet several musicians and enjoy free concerts!

Beverley:
If you had an unexpected free day what would you do with it?

Kelli:I’d spend the day doing something fun
with my husband or friends. Maybe take a day trip somewhere or walk on the
beach.

Beverley: You’re a busy person! You had two books published this summer. Tell us
about your latest releases.

Kelli: In August
I released Extraterrestrial Encounters: A Collection of Sci-fi Stories.
Here’s the blurb:

Back in June, I
released my historical romance, The Viking’s Witch. This full-length
novel is set in Celtic Scotland and blends a sensual love story with adventure
and paranormal elements.

The
Viking’s Witch

About to be burned at
the stake by her fellow villagers, Odaria does what any betrayed witch facing
certain death would do. She calls down a curse. Within seconds, rampaging
Norsemen raid the village, capturing everyone except her.

But her reprieve is
short-lived, and Odaria lands in the clutches of the Norse leader Rothgar. Can
she remain true to herself and fight her growing attraction to this domineering
man, or will she fall under his influence and be used for his ambitions?

After Rothgar
witnesses Odaria’s powers firsthand, he strikes a bargain with her. The
raven-haired beauty will use her magical abilities to help him with his quest
in exchange for safe passage off the isle. But can this cunning woman be
trusted, or is she using him to exact vengeance on her village?

Together they must
fight bloodthirsty villagers, battle a mutinous band of Norsemen, find a
missing Norse ship, and learn to trust each other…before time runs out.

I’m working on a re-release of my historical western
romance, Lies, Love & Redemption. I’m also outlining two new romances
(a contemporary gay novella and another historical romance) and revising a
paranormal contemporary. Readers can learn more about all of my books on my
site, sign up for my newsletter, or follow my blog and social media posts for
updates on new releases.

Thanks for letting me share my thoughts today. I welcome
questions and comments from readers and other authors.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Barbara White Daille lives with her husband in the sunny Southwest.
Though they love the warm winters and the lizards in their front yard, they
haven’t gotten used to the scorpions in the bathroom. Barbara also loves
writing, reading, and chocolate. Come to think of it, she enjoys writing about
those subjects, too!

Barbara wrote her first short story at the age of nine, then typed
"The End" to her first novel many years later...in the eighth grade.
Now she's writing contemporary romance on a daily basis. Sign up for her newsletter
to keep up with the latest in her writing life:
https://barbarawhitedaille.com/newsletter.

Beverley:Which
genre or genres do you write or prefer to write? And why?

Barbara:Currently, I’m writing romance, one of
my favorite genres to write and read.Why?Romance novels give us hope,
show us how real and fictional people can deal with adversity, and come with a
guaranteed happy ending.More
specifically, I write short contemporary romance on the sweeter or
lower-sensuality side.

Beverley:Who influenced you the most in
deciding to become a writer?

Barbara:I made
that decision very early on, thanks to input from many people:

My mom, who gave me my love of reading.

Grade school, teachers who encouraged my attempts at
writing.

And all the authors I read in those early days who
wrote books starring characters I loved.To name a few of my book best friends:The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Trixie Belden,
Encyclopedia Brown, Hercule Poirot, and Miss Marple.

Beverley: What gets your creative juices flowing?

Barbara:So many random things, including incidents like
seeing an interesting-looking stranger; overhearing a line of a conversation;
getting bored watching a TV episode and creating new plot twists of my own.

Usually a character
“speaks” to me first.His or her
situation or predicament or problem soon crops up, and from there character and
plot go hand-in-hand.

Beverley: Do you have a favorite cartoon character? Why?

Barbara:Hmm. . . this is tough.We learn to love— and can learn a lot
from—cartoon characters.I’ll go with
Walt Disney’s Goofy because he’s one of the earliest characters I remember
watching and because he’s always good for a laugh.

Beverley: Who would you love most to meet 'in person' and
why?

Barbara:If this includes anyone from any time period, I’d
choose Agatha Christie.I’ve been
reading her books since grade school and would love to pick her brain to see
how she comes up with her plots!

Beverley: If you had an unexpected free day what would you do
with it?

Barbara:Stock up on pizza, tea, brownies, and chocolate
chip cookies.Put my TBR pile next to
the couch.Get into my comfiest
pajamas.And read from morning and well
into the night.

Beverley: What are you working on now?

Barbara: I’m writing my next Harlequin
Heartwarming, another book in the Hitching Post Hotel series.This features Wes’s brother and a bride
jilted at the Hitching Post’s altar.I’m
also working on the third Snowflake Valley story from Entangled Books.The series is set in a small town that caters
to tourists, and the heroine of this book is one of the “bad-luck Barnett”
sisters.

Thanks
to Beverley for inviting me here to celebrate the book birthday of The
Rancher’s Family!The story is
part of The Hitching Post Hotel series and debuts on September 1st.

Book Blurb from The Rancher’s Family:

“Are you my new mommy?”

She certainly hopes so…After a devastating loss, Cara Leonetti’s dreams
of a husband and children are on hold. But Cowboy Creek’s local matchmaker
thinks otherwise! And Cara findsherself unexpectedly entangled in the
day-to-day family chaos of widower Wes Daniels and his two small children.
She’s falling hard, but the strong, silent rancher doesn’t trust in love. Can
Cara put her own fears aside and show Wes that they’re stronger together?

Excerpt
fromThe Rancher’s Family:

Cara looked at
her car only a few yards away. Maybe she should get in it again and leave.
Maybe Wes Daniels had decided he didn’t want help.

And after all,
who was she to come here and disturb a stranger still so wrapped up in grief
that he might wind
up a hermit, as Jed had put it?

The door swung
open. Her jaw almost dropped.

man stood in the opening, silhouetted by the
light from a lamp in the room behind him. Not Jed’s “old friend.” A much
younger man, twenty something, with broad shoulders and sturdy arms and dark
brown eyes beneath dark brows. A man she already…sort of…knew.

The unfriendly
cowboy she had met that afternoon at the Big Dipper.

He looked just
as surprised to see her. “Did you make a wrong turn on your way to somewhere
else?”

“That might be
impossible in Cowboy Creek.”

“Yeah. We’re
not like the big city.”

A point in his
favor—he’d remembered her telling him where she was from. He seemed more
relaxed than he had earlier. Maybe he’d just been in a bad mood. Or—be
honest—maybe her own stress had led her to misread the situation, and the
awkwardness was all on her.

Friday, August 23, 2019

What a fun topic
this month. We’re asked to post an excerpt from one of our books
dealing with travel and or vacation. Thanks, Rhobin.

I’ve chosen one of
my back-list books, A Cruise to Remember. and it's still available on Amazon and Kobo. Since I write romantic suspense, I
usually have murder and mystery in my books. So, even though my excerpt is
based on a cruise through the Caribbean, it has t include mystery and suspense.
It was a fun bookto write and I wrote it just after we had taken a cruise
through the Caribbean.

Short Blurb for A Cruise to Remember

Amnesia, a cruise ship, a jewel theft
ring and attempted murder combine to make it a cruise to remember. Hallie
Donald has been in an accident and has amnesia. She’s traveling on the cruise
as a companion. And someone is trying to kill her.

She doesn’t remember anything but
someoneInterpol agent Eric Norby
searches for jewel thieves on a Caribbean cruise, but his main suspect is the
woman he loves.

Excerpt from A Cruise to Remember

“Did we have a date, Dr. Peterson?” Hallie asked.

“No and call me Eric. I saw what he was doing. You didn’t appear to be
enjoying it. My God, woman, don’t you have any idea how to handle a situation
like that? And how the hell did you get yourself into that position in the
first place? I didn’t take you for a stupid person.”

“I’m not stupid,” Hallie sniffed. “But you’re right. I feel pretty dumb
right now. I don’t know how I got myself into that situation. Jack out
maneuvered me. It didn’t matter what I did, he wouldn’t give up.”

Hallie trembled as they walked away. She couldn’t forget how Jack had
treated her.

“I suggest you stay away from him in the future. I might not be around
to save you next time. Are you sure you’re all right?” Eric stopped and looked
down at her.

“Yes, I think so. Don’t worry. I don’t plan to let him anywhere near me
again.”

“Good.”

“I kicked and scratched and even yelled at him to leave me alone.
Nothing worked and no one paid any attention when I yelled. I-I think he was
going to try and make love to me right here on the deck. Thank you for rescuing
me.”

Out of the corner of her eye Hallie caught a glimpse of a tall
attractive redhead watching them. The woman shot Hallie an angry look before
she turned and stomped toward the bar.

“I couldn’t stop him. I did punch him. I even managed to draw blood at
one point,” she said.

“You need to learn to throw a better punch than that if you want to do
any damage.”

“Maybe you could teach me?”

Eric shook his head, “I don’t get it. I could see you had no idea how to
handle him--so Eric to the rescue. By the way, he wanted sex, he didn’t want to
make love to you, trust me. There is definitely a difference. Don’t you
remember anything about relationships? Or appropriate behavior between men and
women?”

“Nope.”

“You can’t remember anything about how you reacted in the past?”

“How could I? I don’t remember my past. How would I know how I reacted?
And maybe no one has ever tried to rape me before. I don’t know. Give me a
break. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

“Good. I hope so. You have no knowledge at all about what happens on a
date?”

“No, not really; conversation, eating, doing some kind of activity I
guess. I’m going to have to learn that process all over again, except, it’s
going to be harder because when you’re an adult you’re supposed to know what
it’s all about. People expect that you know the games and the rules. Jack
certainly thought I did. I feel like a child trying to play grown up games.”

“I guess I am going to have to give you lessons.” Eric warmed her with
his smile. “Can I buy you a drink?”

“You don’t have to. I’m fine now. Were you with someone when you noticed
my difficulty?”

“Why?”

“Because I saw a lady standing a few feet from you when we walked away
from Jack. She looked really mad, and I think those were daggers she shot in my
direction.”

“The redhead?”

“That’s the one.”

“I was sort of with her. She cornered me on deck. I offered to buy her a
drink. That’s all. I think she read more into it than I meant. So, in a way,
maybe you saved me, too.”

“Somehow, I doubt that. She had a great figure.”

“I’d hardly noticed.”

“Right.”

“You’re still shaking. Come on over here
where it’s quiet.” Eric found a sheltered corner, away from most of the
passengers. “Sit down, doctors’ orders. I’ll be right back with two drinks. You
could use something to relax you. They have special sail-away drinks. You okay
with that you?”

He slipped his uniform jacket off and draped
it around her shoulders, over her shawl.

“Sounds great, but it’s not necessary.” She
felt warmer in the jacket and his musky male scent enveloped her. It was
pleasant and sexual. She knew didn’t react to all men’s scent this way. She
looked up and noticed his lip curled slightly as he smiled.

“Yeah, it is. Keep the jacket on to help
warm you up. I’ll be right back.”

Hallie sat on the edge of the chair. She
forced herself to take deep, calming breaths. She relaxed slightly and leaned
back. Eric’s jacket slipped from her shoulders to the deck. She bent to pick it
up when she felt rather than heard a buzzing sound, something like a mosquito,
past her left ear.

Strange.

She sat back up and twisted around to adjust
Eric’s jacket. There was a hole in the back of the deck chair.

Funny, I don’t remember it being there before I picked up the jacket.

She ran her finger over the hole.

“Here we go.” Eric carried a couple of tall,
red, orange and yellowed colored drinks topped off with parasols.

“What were you doing?” he asked.

“I’m not sure. There was a funny sound, like
a mosquito, and I think this hole just appeared.”

“What the hell...?” Eric placed the drinks
onto a nearby table. He ran his finger over the hole.

“It’s a bloody bullet hole.”

“A what? You’re kidding?”

“No, I’m not. Where were you when it
happened?” Eric looked at the hole. He squinted back in the direction it would
have come from.

“I guess that’s when I bent down to pick up
your jacket.”

“My God, you could have been killed.” Eric
pulled Hallie into his arms and squeezed her against his chest. “You’re sure
you’re all right?”

“I think so. I mean, I wasn’t hit or
anything. I can’t figure out what’s happening. This has to be one of the worst
nights of my life.”